Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a conventional wheel of a bicycle (not shown) includes a central neck portion with a pair of flanges 42, 43 respectively formed at each of two opposed ends thereof. Each flange 42, 43 has a respective cup 421, 431 extending outwardly therefrom. A passage 41 extends through the hub 40. Each cup 421, 431 defines a recess in communication with the passage 41, and receives a bearing race (not shown). The cup 431 has an external thread 45 for receiving a free-wheel sprocket (not shown). A plurality of holes 422, 432 are respectively defined in the flanges 42, 43 for a respective plurality of spokes 46 to extend therethrough, the spokes 46 further being securely fixed to a rim 50. Each spoke 46 has a hooked end to secure in a respective flange hole 422, 432 and a threaded end to which a nipple 44 engages after the nipple 44 has been inserted into the rim 50. An axle (not shown) extends through the passage 41 and is clamped to rear forks of the bicycle by a pair of nuts (not shown) threadingly mounted to the axle, whereby the wheel may revolve within the rear forks.
The freewheel sprockets presently fitted to bicycles often have six, seven, and even eight individual sprockets and the wheel has to be constructed to have a dished, asymmetric spoking to accommodate the width of the freewheel. Accordingly, as can be seen in FIG. 7, the spokes 46 extending between the rim 50 and the flange 42 have a shorter length than the spokes 46 extending between the rim 50 and the flange 43 which results in differing tensions between the spokes 46. Accordingly, assembly and maintenance of such a dished wheel are difficult. Furthermore, the quantity and arrangement of such spokes 46 mean unnecessarily high weight and wind resistance occur.
From the previous description, it is understood that prior structure of a hub having two flanges and a rim adapted to be used with the hub will no longer satisfactorily meet the needs of a user.
Thus, a hub having a single flange and a rim adapted to be used with the hub for use in a bicycle and constructed in accordance with the present invention tend to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.